Full question: Write about an interesting event or celebration which you took part in. How was the event or celebration interesting and meaningful to you? (Bendemeer Sec 2018 S1 EOY 1128/01)
Suggested approach for essay
- This is a descriptive essay with reflective elements.
- You will need to find an event or celebration that you took part in, and share more details about it. Some examples include:
| Event | Why it’s interesting and/or meaningful |
| Birthday | A special day commemorating another year since you were born |
| Animated works/comic convention | You have always been interested in arts and comics You got a chance to witness a lot of cosplayers (people who dress up as fictional characters) |
| Religious holiday | You got a chance to reconnect with your culture You learnt something new about your heritage and culture that you were not otherwise aware of |
| School’s cross country run | Opportunity for physical activity Discovered physical activity can be more engaging when done as a group Learnt the importance of physical wellness |
- My tip for you is to find one major thing to focus on in the paragraph. This will help you manage your “load” so you are not overwhelmed by the content you need to share.
- Example: you already know you want to talk about a birthday. You can split this essay into the following paragraphs:
- Baking a cake (process)Why baking a cake for your birthday is considered unusual for your familyHow the cake looked
- Celebrating the birthday.
- At the end, remember to reflect on the event. This part is required because the question asked “how X was interesting/meaningful to you”.
Sample Essay
The boxes after the paragraph provide extra tips and explanations.
1 For myself, there is no other event as interesting as our own birthday. It is a celebration of yet another year since we were born. My own birthday this year was something I almost forgot about, as I had been preoccupied with other things until my mother had reminded me of it on the day itself.
| In this first paragraph, you can explain your own relationship with the event you find the most interesting, such as a birthday celebration. |
2 This year, my birthday celebration was especially unique, however. My mum and dad said that they were trying to bake a cake. It was the first time they had done so. Usually, they would just purchase one from a bakery and call it a day. As they themselves were unfamiliar with it, this presented a rare opportunity to learn as a collective family.
3 My dad’s phone, which had the recipe loaded up on it, was our saviour. Before long, it was covered in oily smudges. We followed the instructions on the recipe to prepare the ingredients and mix the batter, before placing it in the oven. An afternoon passed in a flash just like that.
| In these two paragraphs, show that your parents’ decision to bake a cake this year was unusual. After that, you can add some steps to show the action of baking the cake. I advise you to use one sentence for every step. Do not lump multiple different actions into the same step. You risk “overloading” the sentence and breaking up the flow. |
4 The baking overall went off without a significant hitch. Soon, the fragrant aroma of a chocolate cake was wafting through the house. It was amazing how simple ingredients like flour and eggs could become such a superb work of art. The chocolate cake was decorated with swirls of whipped cream, with cherries on top of them. My parents stuck candles on the top. It was now time to cut the cake.
| Similar to the above, focus on one thing in the paragraph. Here, it is the appearance of the cake itself after it has been baked. At the end, you can move to the actual birthday celebration. |
5 After making a wish and cutting the cake, we divided the cake up into slices for everyone in the household. We even saved some extra slices for the neighbours. Upon biting into it, the sweet taste of creamy, chocolate goodness filled my tastebuds.
| This paragraph focuses on the birthday celebration and what was done. Use your five senses to make the paragraph come alive. |
6 That was when I realised it was my parents, as well as my own hard work, that had made this cake possible. Despite not being seasoned bakers, they had no doubt put in a lot of effort to make this birthday a truly special and meaningful one just for me. It was a reminder of the unconditional love and support my parents showed me every step of the way. Thus, I had to do the best that I could in future so that I would not let them down.
| This is your conclusion. Remember that you have to bring in the reflective elements of your essay. Example: you have gained a greater appreciation of what your parents have done for you, and what you strive for in future. |
Closing notes: I ran this essay through an “AI detector” and it said my essay was 100% AI-generated and paraphrased. 🫠